1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a pallet rail for a shipping pallet, a shipping pallet, and, in particular, a pallet rail that is light weight, has a recessed portion with projections extending in the recessed portion and a shipping pallet using the pallet rail.
2. Technical Background
Traditionally, pallets have been made of wood planks nailed together. In one common structure, a series of parallel upper wood planks are nailed to the top of three transversely extending, parallel, and equally-spaced wood support planks. Similarly, a series of parallel lower wood planks are nailed to the bottom of the three support planks. The tines of forklifts and/or pallet jacks can slide under the upper planks in the two parallel channels formed by the three spaced support planks. The forklift or pallet jack can then raise its tines, which lifts the pallet and anything mounted on it. While such pallets have been used for decades, they suffer from a surprising number of deficiencies.
One is that the wood pallets require treating the wood. These requirements for the treatment of wood pallets have made the use of such wood pallets disadvantageous for many reasons, including increased cost and manufacturing complexity. However, it should be noted that since plastics and paper/corrugated packaging materials are inherently bug-proof, the regulations apply only to international shipments involving wood packaging materials. Upon inspection for export, any wood pallet found not to be in compliance with the rules would be destroyed, forcing goods to be re-palletized onto an approved pallet, or fumigated on site—all at the expense of the shipper.
Another deficiency of wood pallets relates to environmental concerns. One third of US landfills will not take pallets, and others charge fees for taking pallets. Most pallets are eventually abandoned, left to pile up as a dangerous nuisance.
These issues are not of great concern with plastics and paper/corrugated packaging materials, as pallets made of these materials are recyclable. It is worth noting that recyclable, paper-based pallets are already favored for export to environmentally concerned countries, such as the various EU members.
A further deficiency of wood pallets revolves around the effect of their weight on a whole range of issues, such as added transportation costs, and handling difficulties for workers. The average weight of a 48″ by 40″ block style wood pallet with four way entry is approximately 45 lbs. The shipper must pay for the net weight of the pallet as part of the total transportation cost of the shipment, in all less-than-truckload (so-called “LTL”) volumes, as well as all domestic and international shipments by air. This added expense is significant. For example, the average domestic LTL trucking rate is $0.33 per lb. This means that it costs the shipper $14.85 to ship each pallet without any freight on it. With domestic air rates ranging from $0.60-$1.50 per lb. (depending on the service level), and export air rates at $1.00 per lb., the expense of shipping the pallet itself can have a profound impact on the total transportation cost.
The handling of wood pallets by warehouse workers has been an issue for many years in terms of the repetitive lifting of heavy weights and injuries caused by splinters, exposed nails, and falling pallets. The issue of weight has grown as a concern since women are joining the traditionally male workforce in warehouses and shipping docks. OSHA has pressed U.S. industries to minimize human lifting weights to 45 lbs. It is common knowledge that the weight and condition of wood pallets have contributed to workmen's compensation claims in the transportation industry and has become a cost factor regarding their use. Government regulations and company work rules usually require that a damaged wood pallet be taken out of service and either repaired or replaced unless the damage is very minor.
Still a further deficiency of wood pallets is the quality of the top load-bearing surface. Very frequently, the top surface is made of rough and uneven wood, which can cause damage to outer packaging, and sometimes to the goods themselves. While this might seem minor, in normal warehouse conditions where freight is handled roughly and quickly, damage claims can easily result.
For decades, non-wood alternative pallet products, particularly paper-based/corrugated and plastic products, have been manufactured and widely distributed. Examples of such pallets are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,329,861; 5,595,125; 5,660,118; 5,784,971; 5,934,202; 6,357,364; and 6,612,207. These alternative products faced a number of obstacles that limited their ability to gain greater market share against wood pallets. One such obstacle is that generally pallets made from durable, recyclable, and reusable plastics, are regarded as far too expensive for single-use applications, and have only gained market share in closed loop transport systems where they can be recovered. Good plastic pallets generally cost between $75 and $90 each. Another obstacle has been that traditional paper-based pallets made from “homogeneous” materials such as Kraft paper honeycomb and corrugated paperboard have never enjoyed a significant price advantage over new wood pallets or a cost advantage when compared to used/reconditioned wood pallets.
A further obstacle has been that traditional paper-based pallets generally cannot match many performance attributes inherent to wood pallets (especially relating to the deck support aspect of load-bearing). No currently offered paper pallet even claims to be strong enough to be used in unsupported warehouse racking systems. Wood pallets can be placed side by side in a warehouse rack loaded with freight, and stacked one on top of the other to a reasonable height limit. Such is not true of currently known paper-based pallets.
Still a further obstacle facing paper-based pallets is that they have not been able to overcome their greatest perceived weakness; that they cannot be exposed to any water or be used in a wet environment. Consequently, unlike wood pallets, paper pallets cannot be stored outside, which is a common practice in many areas of this country. Although U.S. Pat. No. 5,359,861 does briefly mention that portions of the paper-based pallet could be coated with polyethylene, this process may not be very effective and typically is high in cost.
What is desired, therefore, is a pallet system which is constructed from a wood alternative, which does not present a hazard of facilitating the migration of pests, which is not subject to the treatment requirements imposed by governmental agencies, which is relatively inexpensive to create and use, which does not pose great environmental concerns, which is lower in weight than wood pallets, which has a top surface which is not prone to damaging goods shipped thereon, which has a strength similar to that of wood pallets, and which is water resistant such that it can be used in humid or wet environments.